Door check devices are well-known in the art for use in checking the swinging motion of automotive doors. These devices generally comprise a link member with one or more sets of detents and a housing that contains a pair of spring-biased rolling elements. The link member is inserted through the housing so that the rolling elements are engaged in rolling contact with the surfaces thereof under their respective spring biasing. Either the link member or the housing is secured to the door panel and the other is secured to the motor vehicle body. As the door panel is swung open, the link member moves relative to the housing. When the rolling elements are received within a set of detents on the link member, the detents and rolling elements cooperate to maintain the link member and housing against relative movement until a force sufficient to overcome the biasing on the rolling elements and disengage the rolling elements from the detents is applied to the door panel. As a result, the door check device functions to yieldingly maintain the door panel in position based on the cooperation between the rolling elements and the detents.
Alternatively, some prior art door check devices use non-rotatable structures that slidably engage opposing sides of the link member. One or both of these fixed structures may be spring-biased against the link member in a manner similar to the roller-type arrangement mentioned above. For an example of such a device, one may refer to U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,570.
A major drawback of these types of devices is that the link member may be allowed to pivot or otherwise shift or move relative to the housing in a yaw-type movement. As a result of such movement, the transverse detents can become misaligned with respect to the orientation of the rollers/sliders. This misalignment can lead to uneven wear on the rollers/sliders and/or the link arm. Also, if enough free play is permitted, this misalignment may cause the door check device to become inoperable because the rollers/sliders are unable to be received within the detents.
Consequently, it would be advantageous to provide an improved door check device that obviates the shortcomings associated with the prior art door check devices discussed above.